Having read "And Now for The Good News" I was interested to see what the latest book had in store. I had not read Frazzled that is mentioned in the latest book but this seems to be the same kind of theme and ideas and almost a manual for mindfulness. Being written in the time of the pandemic the idea of mindfulness is needed even more than before with a lot of isolation and disconnection. As with the previous book I ended up looking up several other books and looking at YouTube for speakers and their ideas that are mentioned in the book. There are so many quotes in this book that you can take away but I loved the following "We are Velcro for negative thoughts and Teflon for positive ones" absolutely right and as an educator I see this all the time. I would love Ruby to do a tour of schools and impart some of her knowledge to stressed kids- there are certainly techniques in the book I will be passing on and recommending the book to a few of my students. A great read for those into - or getting started with mindfulness.

This is my first book by Ruby Wax and it definitely won’t be my last. Wax introduces this workbook as a ‘guide to help bulk up our emotional resilience as afar as learning with the unknown..’, a guide written in response to the experience of the pandemic, of being caught unprepared. Wax establishes her credentials to write such a book - she has completed years of academic study into psychology; she practices mindfulness on a daily basis and. particularly relevant, she ran online support groups throughout the pandemic. More importantly Was comes across not only as eminently qualified but she comes across as a fully fleshed human being who has her own ‘baggage’, her own fears, worries, labels..so we feel we are in capable but human hands. This is described as a workbook and there are a number of mental exercises throughout the book - exercises to practise mindfulness techniques, exercises to challenge our thinking. They felt very relevant and very useful. In particularly I have found the five senses exercise hugely beneficial. The exercises are interspersed between discussions behind the theory and approach. I found this very lucid, accessible and really helpful in understanding how and why the exercises would help me and why mindfulness is such a mind altering practice. I found this an excellent guide to mindfulness, to mental self help and hopefully a solid preparation in the event of any more disasters!!

Being mindful is something I think everyone would benefit from, as we can be so far removed from the here and now. Constantly looking into the future, planning and thinking and obsessing about what’s to come. Its easy to get swallowed up into life without really being present for it. A mindfulness guide for survival was a great read, drawing the reader in to consider and ponder the big questions as well as gain awareness of how to be mindful. The book teaches you how to bring your brain back for a mindful moment, how to recognise what you need to address and how to be present. I also liked that the author included lots of snippets about her life, which helped to make you feel like you weren’t alone in the struggles or what you might be feeling. The inclusion of all the science behind mindfulness, physiology and neuroscience was great to read too and a really nice addition. The book also includes lots of immersive and participatory exercises for you to work through and begin to learn the art of being mindful. It’s a book to have on your shelf and refer back to regularly, working those mindful muscles on a regular basis. For that, the book definitely delivers on its main aim. A must for all those who want to learn more about mindfulness and how to navigate in today’s mad and busy society.